Top 3 Signs Your Hair Shears Need Sharpening

We know every hair stylist's worst hair scissors nightmare, having to do a haircut with dull scissors! Sharp scissors are every hairdresser's favorite tool! But how do you know when it's time to get them sharpened? We have the answers !

Pulling, Pushing, Grabbing

We categorize these all together because it basically means, your shears just don't feel how they should ! You're in the middle of a haircut and all of a sudden your client's hair is pushing off the blades of your shears. Or It feels like it is taking forever to cut a straight line! How about if you're slide cutting and your client grimaces in pain? These are all warning signs of damaged or dull scissors. If you're scissors just don't seem to cut hair as smooth as they used to, this is a sure sign that you have dull shears. We recommend calling your professional sharpening service to come fix them up!

You Dropped Your Shears!

We have all been there! It's the worst feeling in the world. You accidentally knocked your beloved scissors on the floor. You may pick them up and think they look fine, but very rarely is that the case.

When we drop our hair cutting shears, or even place them down hard on our station, we risk damaging the blades. Often we can cause what is known as a nick. Nicks are basically, a tiny defect, or chip, in the blade. Sometimes they are easy to notice, other times, not so much. Here's the best way to deal with a nick.

• Do not just close your shears ! When they fall, they have most likely fallen into an open position. Pick them up still open! Closing them straight away may cause more damage to your scissor blades.
• Inspect the blades. We know we said they aren't always easy to notice, but still make sure you have a close look. Even a little spot on the blade or tip that looks as if the light is bouncing off of it may be one of the signs you have damaged the blade.
• Slowly close the blade! Place light pressure pushing the blades apart as you close them.
• Once they're closed, place light pressure pushing the tips together and open your shears slowly.

Following these steps should help move the nick or piece of metal that's broken off so that it can not damage the blades any further. However this does not mean they're fixed ! It is best to call someone to sharpen them and fix them up for you.

Your Hands and Wrists are more sore!

You finish up your working day and your wrists feel like you've been cutting hair non-stop for weeks, but today was no different than the day before. It feels like you are using more physical effort to get your scissors properly cut. This is never a good sign. If your hands are used in the cutting motion all day, and your haircutting scissors are dull or damaged it may feel like you've done triple the amount of cuts! This is because we are compensating for the dullness of our shears. Or you're trying to do a blunt cut but your shears push hair off the tips. This is a sure sign your hair cutting scissors need sharpening.

What To Do If You're Scissor blades are dull

We always recommend calling a scissor sharpener ASAP. However there are a few things you can do in the meantime to make sure your hair cutting shears are well taken care of before you send them off to be sharpened.

• Cleaning and Oiling your Shears- This is the best way to ensure your sharp shears stay sharp for longer. Between every haircut make sure to use a soft cloth to wipe any left over hair off the blades. Leaving wet hair on the blades can dull them quicker. You need to be oiling your shears everyday. Not only does it keep them cutting smoothly but it also helps to remove any tiny hair fragments that may build up in the pivot point over time. Use your oil pen to put a drop of oil where the pivot point is. Gently open and close your scissors to disperse the oil. Wipe clean. Doing these steps daily will help keep your shears from pulling, pushing or damaging hair !
• Check your tension- This should be done daily before you start your day. Here is a simple test to check your tension. Have your hair scissor blades pointing up. Lift the thumb hole up past 90 degrees. Release the blade. If the finger hole drops all the way down or close to 20 degrees, your tension is too loose. If the finger hole does not drop past 45 degrees, it is too tight.
• Adjust your tension accordingly. To loosen or tighten your shears use the tension adjuster. It is important to adjust ever so slightly until it's perfect. You do not want to over loosen or tighten.

Now It's Time to Call Your Trusty Sharpener

You have done all you can to keep your sharp scissors in their best cutting shape! However at some point we all need our scissors sharpened. We recommend calling your trusted sharpener to help you out ! After all, a sharp pair is the best pair!

Now that you know what to look for when using your hair shears we hope you will have a long happy career with your favorite pair of hair shears by your side ! If you're still unsure if your scissors need sharpening, reach out to our very helpful customer service representatives ! They are always happy to help!